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AOR Blvd Records

It’s hard to believe but three decades on from its release, Fierce Heart’s debut self-titled release is often hailed as classic of the hard rock genre that unfortunately never found its deserved wider audience.

Full to the brim with its jaw crushing guitar sound – a sound made famous by successful acts of the day Dokken and Ratt, Fierce Heart basically consisted of singer Larry Elkins with guitarist Rex Carroll – their ace in the pack who could shred on par with all his peers of the mid to late 80s.

Hailing from Chicago, Fierce Heart was a melodic rock project put together by Mirage Records’ Jim Delehart and band manager John Doumanian. The latter had discovered Elkins in Nashville and, having heard of Carroll’s guitar prowess, elected to introduce the musicians which in turn lead to an album being recorded. The album, simply called “Fierce Heart”, utilised engineer Chris Lord-Alge in a percussive capacity. To promote the album the band performed a series of shows though sadly they were to miss out on the chance to support Deep Purple due to management / label politics, denying them the opportunity to truly showcase their potential.

After the inevitable breakup Rex would go on to find success with Christian rockers Whitecross whilst Larry pursued a succession of diverse musical projects.

The self-titled album itself has over the years been a victim of various bootleggers and has appeared on CD is various formats – none of which have been official or authorised. Until now that is with AOR BLVD Records’ A&R man supreme finally securing a legitimate release after a chance meeting with Rex. The guitarist himself felt that the original artwork used was out of sync with the music and style of Fierce Heart and in no way did them justice. As a result, and with Rex’s approval, the label has commissioned new artwork it feels is more fitting. Furthermore, AOR BLVD Records have ensured this cd has been remastered to the highest quality including as a bonus the original interview conducted for “Metal Forces” magazine providing details on the bands history and how it was formed as well as three exclusive demos featuring ex Grave Danger singer Bob Reynolds as well as detailed liner notes from Rex himself.